Gov. Asa Hutchinson requested a federal disaster declaration Wednesday for 33 counties affected by storms and flooding in May and June, saying the state incurred more than $6 million in damage.
A series of storms spawned several tornadoes, thunderstorms and torrential rains since May 7. Three people died, and several hundred homes were damaged by flooding on the Arkansas River during the past two months.
The counties sought for declaration are: Chicot, Clark, Crawford, Conway, Dallas, Faulkner, Franklin, Garland, Hempstead, Howard, Independence, Izard, Jefferson, Johnson, Lafayette, Little River, Logan, Madison, Marion, Miller, Montgomery, Nevada, Newton, Ouachita, Perry, Pike, Polk, Pope, Scott, Searcy, Sebastian, Sevier and Yell counties.
Preliminary damage assessments conducted by the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, local emergency management coordinators and representatives with the Federal Emergency Management Agency said more than 370 homes were damaged by storms and flooding, and public damage was estimated at $6,086,190, said Krista Guthrie, an Arkansas Department of Emergency Management spokesman.
Of that amount, $3 million went to repair roads and bridges washed out by floods. Another $1.04 million was spent on debris removal. The total does not include damage done to insured private property.
Howard County reported the highest cost, with $817,176 spent.
Heavy rains caused both the Arkansas and Red rivers to rise out of their banks, flooding thousands of acres of farmland and residential areas.
J.R. Davis, a spokesman for the governor, did not immediately return a telephone message Wednesday evening.
Arkansas' delegation -- U.S. Sens. John Boozman and Tom Cotton and U.S. Reps. Rick Crawford, French Hill, Steve Womack and Bruce Westerman -- sent a letter to President Barack Obama in support of Hutchinson's request.
"As we see in many crises, people have come to the aid of their neighbors; however, the extent of the damage has surpassed the state government's ability to respond," they wrote in the letter.
The delegation cited Obama's visit to the state in May 2014 to tour tornado-damaged Vilonia and Mayflower.
"The past several years have been particularly difficult for Arkansas residents due to numerous severe weather events impacting many of the same areas you recently visited," they wrote.
"The assistance received as a result of several earlier federal disaster and emergency declarations has been vital. We hope that a similar response will follow this disaster."
State Desk on 06/25/2015